Joseph Callaway - Clients First: The Two Word Miracle

Contents

Cover image: Aaron Blackburn

Cover design: Aaron Blackburn

Copyright 2013 by Joseph and JoAnn Callaway. All rights reserved.

REALTOR is a registered mark of the National Association of Realtors 1947.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Callaway, Joseph, 1943

Clients first: the two word miracle/Joseph Callaway, JoAnn Callaway.1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN: 978-1-118-41277-0 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-1-118-43175-7 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-43177-1 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-43179-5 (ebk)

1. Customer servicesUnited States. 2. Customer relationsUnited States. 3. Success in businessUnited States. I. Callaway, JoAnn, 1944- II. Title.

HF5415.5.C355 2012

658.812dc23

2012015374

This book is dedicated to the Clients of Those Callaways.

You taught us everything.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all the Clients of Those Callaways to whom this book is dedicated. Without you our technology would be powerless, our phones would be mute, and our hearts would be empty. Thank you again and again.

The support from our Those Callaways Team has been wonderful. Your tireless service is a tribute. You have carried the Clients First torch and we learn from you every day.

Thank you to our first reader and Associate Broker, Marge Lindsay, who, after reading the manuscript, opened her feedback, With all my heart I love this book. You brought us joy.

Thank you to our longtime client and the most insightful, sardonic, and outspoken person we know, Paul Sharpe. You said you expected it to be one long ad and then you embarrassed us with praise.

Thank you to our Arizona Republic account executive, Connie Sana. You were the first to say Clients First may change the world.

Thank you to our Title company executive, Michelle Schwartz. Your enthusiasm is contagious and your belief gave us courage.

From the out-of-left-field department we wish to thank our granddaughter, January Harshe, and her husband Brandon, a Y generation couple seeking to establish a medical practice in Childress, Texas. We only shared the manuscript with you because you asked. Brandons subsequent letter of appreciation and your phone calls told us this was a book for all generations and all pursuits. Thank you.

Our reader group was supposed to remain small and kept confidential but our best, laid plans wilted in the face of buzz and excitement, creating a second reader group to whom we owe a deep debt of gratitude. Your feedback spurred us on. Thank you to Bob Bass, Steve Chader, Brian Critchfield, Jennice Doty, Casey Doty, Jeffrey Fine, Ken Goodfellow, Billy Jensen, Michael Orr, Diane Scherer, Jim Sexton, Toni McCarty, Michael Tiers, Brenda Visser, Heidi Zebro, and John Zidich.

Thank you Gary Keller. You inspire so many. A special thank you to Jay Papasan. Your thoughts and perceptions were invaluable.

Finally, we wish to express our appreciation to Richard Narramore, our senior editor at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. You are a shining example of Clients First , the greatest compliment we can confer.

Introduction

Clients First is the story of our personal journey in real estate. It is a remarkable journey filled with both spectacular highs, as the real estate market bubbled in 2005, and heartbreaking lows, as the bubble burst, creating the worst real estate recession since the Great Depression. Along the way we made a discovery that changed us and everyone around us. We found a miracle. It was the secret to immense business success, and it made everything easy.

This was more than a miracle that occurs once and confounds the philosophers afterward. This was a practical miracle that could be conjured up at will and replicated, not only by us but also by others. It could be passed on to our team, our vendors, our corporate family, our clients, and now to you.

It doesnt matter whether you are the CEO or the newest hire starting out in the mailroom, this book can change your life. Clients First may be applied in any endeavor with surprising success.

In Part I of Clients First , a memorable lady in a blue suit asks JoAnn, What is the real reason for your fabulous success? Her query prompts JoAnn and me to carefully analyze what we do so we can give the question a constructive response. In the process, and after years of struggle, we identify the three keys that unlock the secret to putting our clients first. We shine a spotlight on each key so you can quickly grasp the who, what, where, why , and how of each one. We show how these three complement one another and how they work together to create unimaginable synergy.

In Part II, we examine the evidence and focus on how these two words Clients First possess great power. Against the backdrop of a market meltdown we observe how Clients First has the power to save our business, transform our business, and grow our business. Remarkably, Clients First is an unchanging calm at the eye of the storm. Clients First makes it possible to stay the course and achieve great success. Clients First overcomes all obstacles and remains unblemished.

In Part III, you learn how you can put your clients first. You are given a powerful path to follow. If you choose to take it, it will lead to your transformation and empower you to thrive in a Clients First world. Moreover, people within your sphere of influence will be transformed, too. There is room for everyone to benefit. Admittedly, this is a mighty promise, but Clients First (as a book and as a principle) delivers!